Dangerous winter storm’s blackouts will coincide with life-threatening cold

This will be a dangerous and potentially life-threatening winter storm from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic. 

Many of the communities expecting all snow may measure accumulation in feet instead of inches. This will make travel impossible for a time during and after the storm. Plows in the hardest-hit areas may not reach side streets and neighborhoods for several days after the storm. Expect school closures through much of next week.

It’s the ice storm potential that makes this event exceptionally hazardous.

Ice accretion of just 0.25″ is enough to damage trees and power lines. Strain from the weight of solid ice only grows from there, and we get into “crippling ice storm” territory once accretions reach 0.50″ or greater.

Widespread ice accretions of 0.50″, and possibly up to 1.00″, are possible from northern Texas to North Carolina in areas that remain predominantly freezing rain throughout this event.

The resulting jacket of ice on exposed surfaces will make simply getting into vehicles next to impossible.

Countless trees and tree limbs will succumb to the heavy coating, snapping and falling to the ground in a seemingly endless chorus of eerie booms.

Falling trees will knock down power lines. The lines themselves, as well as the wooden poles on which they’re strung, may simply snap under the weight of the ice.

Power outages will be extensive, potentially numbering in the millions, and they will be long-lasting. Similar ice storms have left communities without electricity for a week or longer. The sheer scope of this ice storm will stretch power companies thin, potentially making restoration times take even longer.

And then we get to the frigid temperatures expected during and after the storm.

Temperatures across many of the areas expecting heavy snow and ice will stay around or below freezing through early next week. The combination of protracted blackouts and extremely cold temperatures will subject vulnerable people to hypothermia and frostbite. The risk for carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of things like grills, generators, and heaters is extremely high in a situation like this.

If you’re in an area that may see freezing rain, make sure you’re prepared for power outages that will hinder your ability to prepare food, keeping in mind that restaurants and grocery stores will likely close without electricity. Wash your blankets and heavy clothes so they’re ready for use if you lose heating. Have actual, physical flashlights and battery replacements on hand so you don’t drain your cell phone battery trying to see in the dark.

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